Women and other residents of H-Tshifura in Sibasa danced and ululated when the body of an alleged notorious criminal was taken away in a police mortuary van.

This scene, something never experienced before in the local community, shocked those who did not know the dead man. The man, identified as Matodzi Mawela (35), was found by passersby in the early hours of Friday on their way to the local clinic. His body, which was soaked in blood and mud, lay sprawled at the local Tshifura sporting grounds. Residents from Makwarela, where he had lived, and the neighbouring villages came in numbers to confirm that he was indeed the dead man.

The alleged criminal is known to have terrorised residents in his township of Makwarela and the neighbouring villages, and he was regarded as the mastermind behind crimes in the area. He allegedly stole from a house in the village and angry residents gave chase. They caught up with him and beat him with an assortment weapons, leaving him for dead.

After positively identifying him, the residents rejoiced. Some were singing songs that they would henceforth sleep with their doors open, while others were singing that he should rest in peace. “We are happy that he was killed; this is one fewer problem for us. We have been under siege by criminals in the area, with many houses broken into and items stolen. The worst part of it is that, not long ago, they also killed a woman not far from here, and this made us live in fear. If criminals are killed this way, it will send a message to others that it does not pay and perhaps they will refrain from doing crime,” said a woman who did not want her name mentioned.

Dr Alunamutwe Randitsheni, a well-known cleric who also did research in the field of ritual murders and who also happened to be at the scene, said that he was worried that impatient community members were now resorting to the killing of people they suspected of being involved in crime. "This is not right. In a democratic country like South Africa, we cannot encourage jungle justice. A suspect should be handed over to the police, who will in turn hand him to the justice department, where he will be sentenced if found guilty. In many instances innocent people have lost their lives unnecessarily as a result of mob justice," he said.

Thohoyandou police spokesperson Maj Mashudu Malelo confirmed the incident and that they are investigating a murder charge. “We can confirm that the dead man, Matodzi Mawela, was out on bail when he embarked on his crime spree. We linked him to more cases, such as drunken driving, theft, house robberies, housebreakings and robbery with weapons other than firearms," said Malelo.